Considered the greatest receiver of all time, Rice is coaching the NFC Pro Bowl team this week.

SAN FRANCISCO — If Jerry Rice didn’t initiate the term GOAT. (greatest of all time), he certainly is associated with its meaning within the NFL universe.

More than 20 years after he retired – as a member of the Denver Broncos, no less – Rice is still the NFL leader with 22,895 receiving yards, nearly 5,500 better than second place Larry Fitzgerald.

His 1,549 catches are still an NFL record, even as the league just finished its fifth season with one more 17th game in its regular season. Fitzgerald is second, 117 catches behind.

Rice’s 197 touchdowns are 41 more than next-best Randy Moss.

Jerry Rice is indeed the greatest of all time. Muhammad Ali used to frequently say that about himself, but that was before it became shortened to GOAT. People now call Tom Brady the GOAT.

But before him was Rice. He and his daughter even marketed the term “GOAT” with an energy fuel drink they founded – and Rice was carrying with him as he conducted an interview on Sunday with 9NEWS following the NFL Pro Bowl practice he led as the official coach.

“I think there are so many people that can have that term,” Rice said. “Not only athletes, but anybody that aspires to be great in whatever they’re doing.”

Rice played 20 NFL seasons and the plan was to play a 21st in 2005 with the Broncos. He was two months shy of his 43rd birthday and for the first week or so of training camp, all was going well. He was going to be the No. 3 receiver behind Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie.

But then his body told him enough was enough.

“I came in and I still felt like I still had some football left to play, but it just didn’t work out, didn’t work out for me,’’ Rice said. “I think I wore No. 19, and I remember wearing that. It was training camp, and I was out there running around and I felt pretty comfortable, but then I got a foot injury and I had to step away from the game.”

It was tendinitis in his foot he was trying to shake. He received an excused absence from coach Mike Shanahan to move one of his children to college, but when Rice returned, he couldn’t shake free of single coverage. Charlie Adams, a solid special teamer, beat Rice out for the No. 3 receiver spot and next thing you know, the Broncos were holding a retirement press conference for Rice.

“In Denver, dealing with the altitude all of that, as an opposing team back in the day you had to come in and adapt to that altitude,’’ said Rice, who was known for his superb conditioning. “The air is a little bit thinner there and it was always difficult. But I wanted to still play but my health just wouldn’t let me.”

As the NFC Pro Bowl team’s head coach, Rice said he has delegated the offensive play calling to former receiver/returner great DeSean Jackson, who is now head coach of Delaware State, and the defense to Tyrone Poole, a former Broncos cornerback who is head coach of Alabama State’s women’s flag football team.

The Pro Bowl is now a flag football exhibition.

“We just want to try to bring the fans to their feet,’’ Rice said. “We want to make it exciting. I even told [San Francisco 49ers’ offensive tackle] Trent Williams, I said, ‘Trent, I want you to run a post route.’ Can you imagine big Trent trying to get downfield weighing over 300 pounds?

“Why not? We just want to have a good time. These guys, they’re honored to be here.”

Rice said he’s still very much a football fan and paid attention to the Broncos’ run to the AFC Championship Game this year. Had starting quarterback Bo Nix not suffered a broken ankle the week before in a second-round overtime playoff win against Buffalos, the Broncos may well have been here playing in the Super Bowl, not the Pro Bowl, where five players will represent Denver for the AFC Pro Bowl team on Tuesday.

“Oh, I think so,’’ Rice said. “I really do. When you lose a quarterback of that magnitude, it’s going to hurt. What a great season. Unfortunately, it ended that way, but I’m sure he’s going to bounce back. What I see in him, he’s a great leader. And he’s only going to get better.”